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India's foreign trap shooting coach and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Peter Wilson believes Neeru Dhanda's historic ISSF Shotgun World Cup triumph in Lonato has marked a watershed moment for Indian trap shooting, as the team is gearing up for the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou from Monday, and the Asian Games later this year.
The 2026 ISSF World Cup for Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun in Hangzhou, China, will take place from July 20 to July 29. Speaking to ANI during the Media Day organised by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on Friday, Wilson praised Dhanda's breakthrough achievement. "We just came off the back of the World Cup in Lonato, and there was success for Neeru. Now we are training for the World Cup in China. When you take into consideration that it was India's first-ever Olympic trap women's gold, it's huge. I'm just so pleased for everyone. She's put a lot of work in, and she deserves, she deserves everything that's coming her way," said Wilson. Wilson's comments came just hours before India's rifle and pistol squad departed for Hangzhou for the ISSF World Cup, while the trap team is scheduled to leave on Monday. However, Neeru Dhanda is not part of the Indian contingent. Under Wilson's guidance, Indian trap shooting has made significant strides in recent years. Earlier this month, Neeru Dhanda became the first Indian woman to win an individual gold medal in the women's trap event at an ISSF World Cup in Lonato, Italy. Wilson has also overseen the rise of other Indian trap shooters, including helping Zoravar Singh Sandhu win a bronze medal at the 2025 ISSF Shotgun World Championship. The former Olympic champion stressed that the coaching staff's role extends well beyond technical training, with equal emphasis placed on fitness, nutrition and overall athlete development as India builds towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Talking about the importance of diet and fitness of the shooters, he said, "We work on every aspect of an athlete's life, including their diet. The goal, of course, is to get every ounce of talent out of each athlete so that when they stand there and represent the country, they can give their best. I'm not saying that that will always be gold or medals, but it's about progress, progression towards the Olympic Games in Los Angeles." The ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou will serve as another crucial stop in India's preparations for a busy international calendar, with the Asian Games scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 17 to October 3. As the foreign coach of the shotgun team, Wilson will also travel with the contingent to the Asian Games, where India will look to build on its recent success on the global stage and continue its upward trajectory in trap shooting. India's Rifle & Pistol Team * Men: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Shahu Tushar Mane, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, Kamaljeet, Anish, Omkar Singh, Bhavesh Shekhawat. * Women: Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Sakshi Sunil Padekar, Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen, Suruchi, Sainyam, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat. India's Trap Team * Men: Udaiveer Singh Jaijee, Bhowneesh Mendiratta, Vivaan Kapoor. * Women: Pragati Dubey, Kirti Gupta, Rajeshwari Kumari. (ANI)
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